Saturday, March 26, 2011

He walked into Joe Girardi's office, heard the news he's been anxious to receive, then slipped back into the clubhouse to text his brothers in the Dominican Republic.

Ivan Nova tried to play it cool this morning when he learned that he had made the Yankees' starting rotation. But the 24-year-old couldn't help but smile, especially as teammates came by to shake his hand.

"This is a big step for me right now," Nova said. "I was waiting for that moment."

So began a day of decisions here at Yankees camp. Girardi announced Freddy Garcia will be in the rotation as the fifth starter while Bartolo Colon will work out of the bullpen, in a role similar to the one filled by Alfredo Aceves in 2009.

So as most people (myself included) predicted earlier this spring this is your 2011 Yankees starting rotation:

He walked into Joe Girardi's office, heard the news he's been anxious to receive, then slipped back into the clubhouse to text his brothers in the Dominican Republic.

Ivan Nova tried to play it cool this morning when he learned that he had made the Yankees' starting rotation. But the 24-year-old couldn't help but smile, especially as teammates came by to shake his hand.

"This is a big step for me right now," Nova said. "I was waiting for that moment."

So began a day of decisions here at Yankees camp. Girardi announced Freddy Garcia will be in the rotation as the fifth starter while Bartolo Colon will work out of the bullpen, in a role similar to the one filled by Alfredo Aceves in 2009.

So as most people (myself included) predicted earlier this spring this is your 2011 Yankees starting rotation: